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1tepa1 Inner circle 1281 Posts |
For example a basic silver/copper coin is pretty durable, it is not going to break or stop functioning with normal use, it is as durable as just about any regular coin. But I recently bought a sun and moon coin set (reverse sun and moon to be specific) and two days into playing with it I was putting the coin into the sell and it somehow did not go into it properly and the shell got bent a bit, making the trick useless to me. I have no other experience with trick coins really apart from that one and a basic silver copper coin.
I do not want to buy props that will easily break on me like that, so I am asking what kind of coin gaffs I could buy that are not easily broken like that. Are there shells made for example that are not so easy to bend accidentally? Is a flipper coin reliable and not something that would break on me? I had the basic coin bite coin once and while the rubber band could break it was easy to replace also so I am wondering if that is the same with a flipper coin. And whether the flipper coin would last and not bend like with what happened with the shell. |
Chessmann Inner circle 4242 Posts |
I've owned a variety of coin gaffs over the years by different makers/manufacturers and had no worries about any until I saw some inexpensive Chinese items being sold on Amazon. Fit was very good, but it was clear that the shells would be much more easily bent/dented.
My ex-cat was named "Muffin". "Vomit" would be a better name for her. AKA "The Evil Ball of Fur".
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inigmntoya Inner circle DC area native, now in Atlanta 2350 Posts |
Scotch and Soda and "properly made" CSB sets have thicker rims that aren't likely to bend easily.
Dented shell rims are common but unless you totally mash them, they can be fixed fairly easily. Rubber bands can be replaced by materials that don't rot, which makes gimmicks that use them much more durable. Handling all props carefully will extend their lifetime. |
tonsofquestions Inner circle 1802 Posts |
Looks like I never hit send on my response here earlier.
Really, a big portion of the question has to do with what kinds of effects you want, and how much you're willing to spend working on SoH. Also what coins you want to use. Durability has a lot to do with how well you treat your gaffs. Some turtles can be thin, but can also be repaired, depending on how the damage was caused. Other turtles, like a Scotch & Soda or CSB are thicker and so are less likely to be bent (or are meant to be tight, like the S&S. Flippers have a similar mechanism to the bite coins, but can degrade and are more annoying to repair. The split coin/clone coin/triple coin (lots of names for these) are pretty durable, but sometimes have other issues with their actions. I still think you might like them, so are probably worth looking into. There are also mag****c coins (like in Silver Edge) which are just as reliable as the C/S or regular coins. Depending on your style, you might also enjoy coin benders. There's also a trade off you can make on versatility. Stacks are usually pretty robust, but there's less you can do with them. Cap & Pence, Coins + Cylinder, etc. But they take less care and maintenance. Same thing with a lot of one-trick wonders - Fit (or coin through coin/coin through ring), Forge, Quarter Pounder (really a stolen idea from Dusheck), Balancing Coins, Coin Fusion, Coinception, etc. All pretty durable, but mostly quarters, and a lot fewer routine options than a turtle or C/S. Tell us more about your needs, and maybe we can help you more. |
bentpenny Regular user 198 Posts |
Quote:
On Sep 10, 2022, 1tepa1 wrote: I've also found that the super cheap coin shells from China are extremely thin and are prone to dent and distort. These shells are very likely simply stamped out and formed into something that resembles a coin. The pricier shells are expanded and/or milled from real coins and are therefore thicker and more durable. For shells, I've had no issues with ones from Roy Kueppers and Tango. You didn't mention the size of the coin gaffs you were using. But generally, if you buy smaller coins, they'll be less material to make a shell with, and will be thinner. You will see a difference between quarter, half dollar, and Morgan dollar size. You'll get a little bit more thickness/weight merely because the coins are already bigger to begin with. For flipper coins, I've found the cheap ones from China to work pretty well. They use the same thin shell, but since they pretty much always have something in them, they aren't likely to dent. Generally, for these coins, I simply use a heavy dowel and strong/flat surface to roll out any distortions. If you have the money, simply pay a bit more and get a Tango flipper. I've found Tango to be the best value and will have thicker shells than the ones from China. Perhaps TCC may be the exception. While I've not used TCC coins, I've read a lot of good reviews about them, so they may also be another source for you to explore. Regarding your concern over how durable the elastic on a flipper is, it will absolutely wear out eventually. It's something you need to pay attention to and get to know the feel for when you might need to replace the band. Tango makes a Pro Elastic system that uses a slightly different elastic than the ones in a coin bite. This system is more durable, allows you to tension the flipper to your liking, and is relatively simple to maintain. You might like it. |
Calvin Tong Special user 718 Posts |
Without addressing the goal, venue, and type of effects, I would like to bring you back full circle to your copper silver coin. IMO, It is the most reliable gaff. If you drop it, there are no sh…s to dent, there are no mag… split wafers to prematurely separate from the each other, and no bands to adjust or deteriorate.
Like inigmntoya stated above, the traditional thicker rimmed S&S and CSBs are very robust and can handle accidental drops. Do not confuse these with some more recent and cheaper “CSB’s” and S&Ss which take the standard sh..ll/ rim approach. In my experience, the “flipping” side of the sh.. can dent if dropped (like any other sh…) which can result in the insert getting stuck and unable to flip. I have had that happen to me with Lassen’s, Johnson’s, and Tango’s flippers.
Cal Tong
President Emeritus IBM Ring 216 Silicon Valley |
Wednesday New user 80 Posts |
From what I've noticed, coin gaffs that seem to have the most questions for fixes are gaffs that generally employ thin magnets. Either they've fallen off or they've shattered.
So I don't know per se the most "durable" but it certainly seems like gaffs that require thin magnets may require some more careful tender love and care. |
tonsofquestions Inner circle 1802 Posts |
Quote:
On Sep 13, 2022, Wednesday wrote: 99% of the questions I see about the sp**t coins are about getting the pieces to slide well (use tape, stickers, chapstick, or other options), rather than the ma***ts breaking. If they fall out, a dab of glue sufficies. While shattering is possible, it would require falling at exactly the wrong angle, otherwise you nick the corner of the coin. Which might make it slide less well again, but that's fixable with a file to get rid of the burr. I personally find the action tends to be simpler - you're gripping more of the coins directly by the face, rather than the edges as with a turtle of flipper, so with more surface contact, and needing to palm less (just consolidate them) it's again less likely to get dropped. I'll also observe that ma*****c turtles and dolphins will also need to have a similarly thin piece, so if it's a major concern, then those are likewise susceptible. |
Xcath1 Inner circle 3052 Posts |
I have two split coins from major vendors where the magnets cracked. I am sure I dropped them in practice but I do think they are thin fairly delicate magnets.
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BanzaiMagic Inner circle 1339 Posts |
Quote:
On Sep 16, 2022, Xcath1 wrote: All the sp**t coins I have seen or purchased use Neodymium, which are strong and permanent, but are very brittle and should not be dropped. https://totalelement.com/pages/neodymium......eodymium |
Calvin Tong Special user 718 Posts |
Xcath1,
Which vendors did you have this experience with?
Cal Tong
President Emeritus IBM Ring 216 Silicon Valley |
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